The Government on Monday, March 13 approved the importation of tax-free dates for use during the holy month of Ramadhan.
In a statement, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung'u stated that the dates will also not be subjected to Import Declaration Fee and Railway Development Levy.
The statement noted that in the previous years, the government in support of the Muslim community allowed the duty-free importation of dates and paid the relevant taxes in the absence of legal provisions for waivers.
"The Ramadhan period will be observed soon when Muslims around the world will be fasting in observance of the Holy Month.
"During this period, the Muslims are expected to break their fast at sundown and each evening by consuming dates prior to any other foods," the statement read in part.
Treasury CS further revealed the dates when the exemption would take effect.
"In order to give the same support to our Muslim brothers, the Government has authorized that the dates imported and cleared between March 13, and April 30, be done without the payment of taxes, Import Declaration Fee and Railway Development Levy," ordered the CS.
According to the 2023 Ramadhan calendar, the Muslim community will begin their fast on March 23 until April 20.
The Ministry of Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale welcomed the move, stating that it will enable the Muslims to prepare for the Holy month.
"Dates are a staple part of the diet of Muslims throughout the prayer and fasting season.
"I want to thank President William Ruto for his kind gesture of authorising tax waivers on dates imported and cleared," Duale stated.
Muslims consider Ramadhan, to be more than just a time of fasting but a month of restraint for the whole body.
During this period, they give charity to the needy and poor and feed them as required by their religious practices.
The fast is compulsory for every Muslim male or female with exemptions for children under the age of puberty, insane individuals, and men and women who are too old to undertake the obligation of fast.
Others excluded from the fast include sick people whose health would be severely affected by the observance of the fast, pregnant women, breast-feeding women and those undergoing their menstrual cycle.
